Card Captor Sakura: Year of the Dragon
by Kitsume-chan
Summary: Sakura faces the biggest challenge of her life when she takes on the forces of the Chinese Zodiac!


Overview: Sakura has captured all 52 of the elusive Clow Cards. With the help of her friends and the unlikely companionship of Eriol, Clow Reed's reincarnation, she was able to transform each of the 52 cards with her own magic into more powerful forces. Now with the Sakura Cards, the power of her own star, and her fellowship of friends, Sakura will face her ultimate challenge. A force more ancient than the Clow Cards... a force residing within every individual.  
  
Chapter 1: Why is it so dark in here? Sakura wondered to herself. Up ahead, she couldn't see Syaoran, Tomoyo, or any of her friends. All she could hear was the drip..drip..drip of the dark caverns.  
  
"Gaah!" Sakura shrieked as an unexpected droplet of water nipped her in the back of the neck. Sighing with relief, she glanced up ahead, holding up high a gleaming lantern. The shadowed path gave way to a small circle of light where the lantern shown.  
  
"T-Tomoyo? Syaoran? Where are you guys?" She strained her ears for the slightest response. None came. Sakura shivered in the dank, abandonded atmosphere. Casting light about, she continued further on in the darkness, not sure where to proceed. "Kero? If this is a trick, I'll--oooh, just wait!"  
  
"Deception comes in the most unlikely of ways."  
  
Sakura spun about, nearly dropping the lantern as she did. "K-Kero? Was that you? ....Kero?!"  
  
"The only way to the truth is through yourself. Don't run from what you cannot escape."  
  
Run, though Sakura. Running was the last thing she felt capable of, rooted to the spot with fear. She could feel something creeping this way. It was soundless in its movements, yet she was fully aware of the presence.  
  
Sakura thought desperately for a plan. Finally, she remembered. The Sakura Cards! She could use the Sakura Cards to defend herself, and if there was a need, attack. It had been a good time since she had a reason to use the cards; however, she remembered clearly how to summon their powers to her aid.  
  
Thrusting her hand into her jacket, she brought forth a small key strung from a long chain. Holding in front of her, Sakura summoned her staff, with which she could command the Sakura Cards.  
  
"Staff of Power, Made By Clow, Reveal to Me, Your True Form Now!"  
  
She thrust the key into the air, allowing it to swallowed up by a blinding light. Through the flash, Sakura could make out the formation of the staff; the key gradually extended into her long staff, topped with a star within a circle. Sakura clasped the wand tightly in her hands and the glowing light faded away.  
  
Alright! I'm not sure who's out there, but I cannot run away while the others are trapped inside here, too! Sakura drew forth from her jacket a small card, resembling that of a tarrot card. An image of a tall cloaked figure with a hood obscurring the face was on the card. Below the image, the words 'The Shadow" flashed in the night. I'll use the Shadow Card to hide myself in darkness, thought Sakura. Then, once I know my enemy, I can think of a way to attack it.  
  
"Shadow Card, Hear my Cry! Protect me from Evil's Eye!"  
  
Sakura tapped the center of the card with the star-tipped end of the staff, emitting a burst of light. She glanced up, as the hooded form on the card began to rise up and ascend into the air. She felt a rush of wind as the card's power began to take effect, throwing Sakura into a cloak of darkness. Suddenly, the cloak shattered; the Shadow Card's spirit returned into the card.  
  
What's going on? Why did Shadow quit? Sakura tapped the card again with her staff. Is it broken? She didn't think it could break. She looked closely and saw that the star was beginning to spin. Please, please, work!  
  
A crack of lightenting shot through the night air. Sakura winced at the sight, clutching the staff in front of her. A moment later, she felt an awe-binding sensation of power as a streak of lightening surged through the staff.  
  
What's happening? She watched as the star began to spin more rapidly. It glowed a bright yellow that grew brighter still until there was a blinding white flash.  
  
Moments later, Sakura regained her sight. Through blurred vision she saw her staff. At least it was---Wait a sec! The Staff! Sakura realized. Wh- what happened to it?  
  
Clutched tight in Sakura's fists was her staff. Indeed, it was a staff, yet the one she now held was that of the older model. Her staff had transformed back into the older staff that Sakura had used to capture the Clow Cards. Sakura was unable to completely control the Clow Cards by her own power, and so she needed to draw some of her magic from the old staff that had been presented to her. Once all the cards were sealed, Sakura was given the new staff, so that she harness the cards with her own strengthened magic.  
  
Still unsure of why the staff had undergone this transformation, Sakura decided she could not give in. Touching the end point of the staff to the Shadow Card's center yet again, Sakura chanted the incantation.  
  
She covered her face, preparing to be swept about in the swirling cloak of darkness. But to no avail. Nothing had happened. The card remained the same, and as for the staff, it seemed not even to respond to her command.  
  
Sakura began to worry. Of course the staff won't work anymore! It's the older one I used to seal the Clow Cards. It can't command the Sakura Cards! Does that mean..?  
  
Her thoughts were interupted (Sakura being thankful; the outcome of her thoughts was not pleasant) by a rustling sound somewhere in the room.  
  
Defenseless, Sakura brandished the staff like a weapon itself. She crept silently toward the direction of the sound. Stopping, Sakura could scare hear her own breath in the calm. The rustling noise subsided, as the sound of receding footsteps could be made out.  
  
"Kero?" Sakura called. Where have the others gone? She followed the sound of the footsteps, feeling her way along the corridors with her hand as a guide. The light in the lantern was growing dimmed by the minute.  
  
Sakura proceeded on until her foot struck a jutting stone in the floor. She fell to the ground, the latern falling from her grasp. It crashed to the ground beside her, shattering the glass. Picking herself up, along with the lantern, she examined it. The light was now scarcely burning. It wouldn't be long until it went out completely. She held the lantern aloft, attempting to use the remaining light to glimpse as much ahead as possible.  
  
Then, through the dark, Sakura spotted two small shapes. There were a bright red that gleamed in the lantern's light. Sakura stared hard, before realizing that they, too, were staring back. They were eyes.  
  
Sakura staggered back to where she bumped the wall behind her. The eyes shifted, dissappearing momentarily as their owner shifted position. A second later, they appeared again, watching Sakura, positioned a little farther to the left than earlier.  
  
Sakura studied the eyes. Whatever that is, she reasoned, it's definately smaller than I am. Much smaller.  
  
She crouched down and held the lantern out as far as she could, still touching the wall with her free hand. She waited; the red eyes seemed to scan over the lantern. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, the eyes advanced on her. Sakura held her breath, preparing herself for what approached.  
  
In the lantern's circle of light, she spotted a small black nose. Streaming from the nose was a fine set of whiskers. The two red eyes revealed two small black beady eyes when hit by the light. Two ears emerged from the darkness followed by the rest of the creature, all the way to a long, thick tail.  
  
"It's just a rat!" exclaimed Sakura. "A rat?!" Sakura recoiled, remembering her fear of rats. Although this one did seem friendly. She reached into her pocket and removed a small cracker.  
  
"Here you go. Maybe you'll make use of this more than I will." Sakura offered the cracker to the rat, who fetched it from her hand without any bidding. It sat crunching on its newfound treasure, whilst Sakura sat admiring it. "So I guess..we're both lost in here together, eh?" The rat nibbled on the cracker; Sakura sat with her back against the wall.  
  
"Would you happen...to know a way about of here, little rat?"  
  
As if it could understand, or if something had frightened it, the rat dashed off into the darkness. Sakura, feeling she ought to chance it, scooped up the lantern and pursued it. The rat scurried down the corridor, Sakura following behind. The rat lead her through several twists and turns, before finally approaching a wall. Sakura stopped behind where the rat sat, gazing up at the massive wall.  
  
"Now what?" asked Sakura, more to herself than the rat, who could not understand speech.  
  
She noticed a small ray of light that was emitted near the bottom of the wall. She sat down the lantern and knelt beside it. The rat scurried aside of her as she knelt down, examining a long jagged crack the wall that ran upwards.  
  
"I'd never fit through there," thought Sakura. "But..maybe you?"  
  
She glanced at the rat who glanced back at her. Approaching the crack, the rat sniffed suspiciously, and then crawled through the hole.  
  
"Great! You're free!" Sakura exclaimed. "As for me, I guess I'm stuck here until help arrives. Whenever that is..."  
  
"There is often more than one way out in every maze you encounter."  
  
That voice...who is it? Sakura wondered. She sat with her back against the wall. I feel like I should heed their advice, but...how...  
  
Sakura felt herself filling with an odd feeling. She could sense herself falling into some sort of dreamlike sleep.  
  
How..do I..escape? With a final effort, Sakura lifted herself, before collapsing back into sleep. 


End file.
